


Of Naps and Waterfalls

by Twackycat



Series: Star Wars Shapeshifter Au [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Little Obi-Wan, Phoenix!Obi-Wan, Pre-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Shapeshifting, though that isn't very relevant for this installment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29807610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twackycat/pseuds/Twackycat
Summary: Nudged towards the crèche by Master Yoda and the Force, Qui-Gon Jinn meets a cute initiate named Obi-Wan Kenobi, and spends some time showing him around the Room of a Thousand Fountains.
Relationships: Feemor & Qui-Gon Jinn, Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn & Xanatos
Series: Star Wars Shapeshifter Au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191062
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Of Naps and Waterfalls

Qui-Gon didn’t particularly want to be in the crèche today, he’d much rather be helping his padawan with his schoolwork. However, Master Yoda had been very insistent that he had to help out in the crèche here recently. He also couldn’t deny the small pushes from the Force towards the crèche. It was always possible his next padawan was there. A pull towards the crèche almost five years ago was how he’d met Xanatos after all. Even if Qui-Gon thought it was a little early to be thinking about another padawan already, after all, he still had several more years with Xanatos. 

“Obi-Wan!” Qui-Gon was jerked out of his thoughts at the crèchemaster’s call. Then he suddenly had his arms full of an absolutely tiny varactyl. He couldn’t help but look down at the being in his arms in surprise. Almost immediately the crèchemaster on duty was by his side, reaching for the tiny varactyl. “I’m so sorry about him Master Jinn, he isn’t usually like this.” 

Almost immediately the little varactyl started practically screaming when his crèchemaster tried to pull him away from Qui-Gon. His heart melted a little at that and he waved off the crèchemaster. He could deal with a clingy youngling for a little while. 

“I can take care of… Did I hear his name is Obi-Wan?” 

“Yes, Obi-Wan Kenobi.” 

“I can take care of Obi-Wan for a little while. Is there a specific time he needs to be back in the nursery?” At his words Qui-Gon got an angry nip at his fingers, while the crèchemaster giggled lightly. 

“Obi-Wan is almost five. I doubt he’d appreciate being taken back to the nursery.” Qui-Gon blinked in surprise. He didn’t know much about varactyls, but he was certain that they were much bigger than this by their five equivalent. “He’s perfectly healthy. He’s just unusually small in his secondary form.” 

“Well then, is there any particular time he needs to be back at the crèche?” 

“Just a reasonable time, and please make sure he eats if its past 6:30.” 

“Of course. Now Obi-Wan, is there anywhere in particular you’d like to go?” The little varactyl shook his head before gently wiggling his way up to being curled up on his right shoulder, chirping contentedly at him. Qui-Gon chuckled at that and gently ran his finger over Obi-Wan’s ridged crest. “Hmm… How about a trip to the Room of a Thousand Fountains?” 

He got a happy trill in response so he set out for the Room of a Thousand Fountains with an excited Jedi initiate perched on his shoulder and the Force humming very happily around them. The walk didn’t take very long, and he wasn’t bothered by anyone else, though he nodded towards all those he passed, whether they were in their primary or secondary forms. Upon reaching the Room of a Thousand Fountains, Obi-Wan perked up, making inquisitive noises as he looked around. At five years old, Qui-Gon was pretty sure that Obi-Wan had been there before but was delighted to see the boy’s curiosity. 

“Do you want to shift and explore?” Small claws sunk into his shoulder and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll take that as a no. How about I show you my favorite place? No shifting required.” The claws immediately lessoned and Obi-Wan gently butted his head against the side of Qui-Gon’s. 

As he walked farther into the room, he almost felt bad for Obi-Wan’s crèchemaster’s. It certainly seemed like Obi-Wan was in the middle of the phase all younglings went through where coaxing them out of their secondary form was damn near impossible. Luckily for himself, he was only Obi-Wan’s guardian for the day and could indulge the boy in his want to stay shifted. 

They passed a group of older initiates and padawans playing a rather heated game of Forceball with the children constantly shifting in and out of their secondary forms. Obi-Wan watched intently, his head moving to follow the game as Qui-Gon walked by but made no move to want to stay and watch. Qui-Gon continued until he reached the edge of the pool one of the larger waterfalls fell into. 

He carefully settled down on the rugged rocks that surrounded the edge of the pool, wary of how slippery they were from the spray of the waterfall. It was once he sat down that Obi-Wan scurried down off of his shoulder and started sunning himself on the closest, mostly dry rock. Qui-Gon laughed at that as he took off his boots and rolled up his leggings so he could dangle his feet over the edge and skim the surface of the water. 

Many loved the beautiful waterfall, glinting off of the iridescent rocks that surrounded it, but didn’t come too close. As beautiful as it looked, it didn’t change how dangerous the waterfall and its poll were. The rocks were sharp and always slippery from the mist, and the water level was almost two feel below all of the overhanging rocks making it hard to get out if one fell in; the pounding water of the waterfall making it even harder. 

The danger that kept many away had always enticed Qui-Gon, though this time he kept a close eye on his young temporary charge. Qui-Gon had just started a light meditation when he suddenly had a lap full of wiggling varactyl. He laughed a little as he tried to get the boy to settle down a little. 

“Would you like for me to be in my secondary form too? Is that why you won’t settle down?” Obi-Wan chirped excitedly and Qui-Gon chuckled as he gently lifted the varactyl out of his lap and set him down beside him. “I’m telling you now that my secondary form isn’t the best for cuddling against. My fur isn’t very soft.” 

His words didn’t seem to deter the youngling however and Obi-Wan just watched eagerly. Qui-Gon shifted with a smile on his face, happy to allow his secondary form forward. In an instant there was now a tusk-cat sitting next to the edge of the waterfall instead of a Jedi Master. Qui-Gon took a second to stretch, enjoying the light feeling of mist from the waterfall on his coarse fur. 

When he laid back down, he immediately had the young varactyl curling up between his feet, pressed up against his belly. Almost instantly the boy fell asleep, and Qui-Gon decided that a small nap was the perfect idea. Laying his head down on his paws, careful of his tusks, Qui-Gon quickly drifted off. 

Sometime later, Qui-Gon was pulled from his nap by the sound of approaching footsteps. Cracking open an eye, Qui-Gon was happy to see Feemor and Xanatos coming closer. 

“Why am I not surprised to find you here? You always did love the spray of the waterfall.” Feemor smiled down at the while Xanatos had a slightly disgusted look on his face. 

“Did you have to be in your secondary form, Master? Now the whole apartment is going to smell like wet fur.” 

“You say that like our Master doesn’t always smell like wet fur.” Slowly Qui-Gon uncurled from around Obi-Wan, who was still fast asleep, and stretched slightly before shifting back to his primary form. 

“It’s nice to know that left alone your own devices, my padawans will gang up on me.” Qui-Gon gently scooped up Obi-Wan off the ground as he stood up, the boy waking up with a soft trill. Immediately he hear Xanatos sigh heavily. 

“Master, where did you even find a varactyl that small? I’m certain it should still be with it’s mother.” 

“This is Initiate Obi-Wan. He immediately jumped on me when I went to the crèche like Master Yoda and the Force have been encouraging me to do.” 

“Uh oh, you better watch out Xanatos, seems like Qui-Gon already has his next padawan lined up.” A flare of jealousy came down his bond with his current padawan, and Qui-Gon couldn’t help but roll his eyes. 

“Feemor, please don’t tease your brother. And don’t worry my padawan, Obi-Wan is only five, and you are proceeding very well in your training. You’ll be knighted long before Obi-Wan is old enough to be a padawan. And there’s no guarantee that I’d be his master.” Feemor raised an eyebrow at him and pointedly looked down at where Obi-Wan was still curled up in his arms. “You know he probably won’t even remember this. It doesn’t mean anything.” 

“Uh huh, sure.” Qui-Gon glared lightly at his first padawan. 

“Anyways, how about you head on to the mess hall? I’ll drop Obi-Wan back off at the crèche and then join you.” Xanatos didn’t say anything instead he just stocked away much to Qui-Gon’s confusion, unsure what had gotten into his teenager. 

“I’ll deal with him, you go ahead and take Obi-Wan back.” Qui-Gon nodded in thanks to his first padawan and then headed off towards the crèche with a sleepy varactyl in his arms. 

Five days later Qui-Gon and his padawan were sent to Telos IV and the whole encounter slipped from Qui-Gon’s mind. 

Obi-Wan never forgot the encounter, though names were lost to time. Five years later, Obi-Wan Kenobi dies for the first time when he drowns in the pool at the base of his favorite waterfall. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is honestly just the begining of a rather large shapeshifter Au that has been brewing in my mind for a while now. This is nowhere near the first thing I've written for the Au, but I felt like it was the best introduction to the Au.


End file.
